Method of Presenting Search Results to a User of a Social Network Site

1. A method of presenting search results to a user of a social network site on the Internet, wherein each user of the social network site has a user profile with information regarding the user, the method comprising: obtaining, by a server hosting the social network site on the Internet, the user profile of each user of the social network site; obtaining, by the server, from web sites on the Internet other than the social network site, content items satisfying a search of information on the Internet by a first user of the social network site; ranking, by the server, the content items as a function of the information in the user profile of the first user and of the information in the user profiles of users who have user profiles similar to the user profile of the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profile of the first user and which are related to the information in the user profiles of the users who have user profiles similar to the user profile of the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are unrelated to at least one of the information in the user profile of the first user and the information in the user profiles of the users who have user profiles similar to the user profile of the first user; and transferring from the server to a display of the first user via the Internet the content items according to the ranking such that higher ranked content items are displayed on the display prior to lower ranked content items being displayed on the display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user profile of the first user includes information identifying other users of the social network site who the first user trusts, wherein: ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users trusted by the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users trusted by the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are unrelated to the information in the user profiles of the users trusted by the first user.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the user profile of each user includes information identifying other users of the social network site who the user trusts, wherein: ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users trusted by the users trusted by the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users trusted by the users trusted by the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are unrelated to the information in the user profiles of users trusted by the first user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes an interest of the user, wherein: ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users having the same interest as the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having the same interest as the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a different interest than the first user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes a group membership of the user, wherein: ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users having the same group membership as the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having the same group membership as the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a different group membership than the first user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes an occupation of the user, wherein: ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users having the same occupation as the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having the same occupation as the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a different occupation than the first user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes a gender of the user, wherein: ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users having the same gender as the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having the same gender as the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a different gender than the first user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes a marital status of the user, wherein: ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users having the same marital status as the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having the same marital status as the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a different marital status than the first user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes an age of the user, wherein: ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users having a similar age as the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a similar age as the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a dissimilar age than the first user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes information identifying an employer of the user, wherein: ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users having the same employer as the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having the same employer as the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users having a different employer than the first user.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the information in the user profile of each user includes information identifying other users known by the user, wherein: ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of users known by the first user such that the content items which are related to the information in the user profiles of users known by the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are unrelated to the information in the user profiles of the users known by the first user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein: ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of popularity with the users of the social network site such that the content items which are popular with the users are ranked higher than the content items which are not popular with the users.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the information of the user profile of the first user includes information identifying at least one of age, interests, activities, occupation, gender, marital status, and group memberships of the first user, wherein: ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function the information in the user profile of the first user such that the content items which are related to at least one of age, interests, activities, occupation, gender, marital status, and group memberships of the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are unrelated to at least one of age, interests, activities, occupation, gender, marital status, and group memberships of the first user.

14. A method of presenting search results to a user of a social network site on the Internet, wherein each user of the social network site has a user profile with information regarding the user and information identifying other users who are associated with the user, the method comprising: obtaining, by a server hosting the social network site on the Internet, the user profile of each user of the social network site; obtaining, by the server, from web sites on the Internet other than the social network site, content items satisfying a search of information on the Internet by a first user of the social network site; ranking, by the server, the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of the users who are associated with the first user and as a function of the information in the user profile of the first user such that the content items which are related to the information regarding the users associated with the first user and which are related to the information in the user profile of the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are unrelated to at least one of the information regarding the users associated with the first user and the information in the user profile of the first user; and transferring from the server to a display of the first user via the Internet the content items according to the ranking such that higher ranked content items are displayed on the display prior to lower ranked content items being displayed on the display.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein: ranking the content items includes ranking the content items as a function of the information in the user profiles of the users who are associated with the users who are associated with the first user such that the content items which are related to the information regarding the users who are associated with the users who are associated with the first user are ranked higher than the content items which are unrelated to the information regarding the users who are associated with the users who are associated with the first user.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein: users who are associated with the first user include users known by the first user.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein: users who are associated with the first user include users having the same occupation as the first user.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein: users who are associated with the first user include users having the same interests or hobbies as the first user.